Child of the Fallen
by SesshyLover132
Summary: Max flees, leaving behind five million dollars to her flock and a broken hearted Fang, though she doesn't know it. She heads to Florida, hurting and wishing it wasn't her. Fang finds her and is in for a big surprise. FangMax
1. Surprise

**Disclaimer: I do not own these characters they belong to James Patterson.**

**A/N: Alright, so in this story it's a few years after the downfall of Itex, making Max 18, Fang 18, Iggy 18, Nudge 15, Gazzy 12, and Angel 10. They are living in a good sized house near Dr. Martinez and Ella. **

I looked Fang directly in the eye, "I can't stay here, Fang, I'm not needed anymore."

He seemed angry, "Of course you are! With you gone, who is supposed to take care of Angel and the others?"

I sighed, "I'm sure Dr. Martinez would love to, besides I left you half of my money, you'll be fine."

"What if we don't want you to go?"

I shrugged and fluttered my wings, loosening the muscles. I hadn't flown in a while; it was too risky, for me at least. I pushed the window open a little more and put one leg through. I adjusted my heavy pack awkwardly and turned my head to face the outside.

"What if I don't want you to go?" He asked, grabbing my arm and tugging me so I looked back at his face. I was frozen for a moment, captivated by his perfect face and beautiful eyes. I almost gave in, almost. I knew I couldn't stay.

"What would you need me here for? If you're so lonely, go find that little human girl I saw you sucking faces with!"

He froze for a moment, stunned and before he could recover himself, I had pulled my arm out of his grasp and took off. "Wait, Max! Come back, so I can explain!" He called, almost sounding desperate.

I ignored it, ignored what I was leaving behind and flew faster, heading towards Florida, where I had rented an apartment in Orlando.

-scene change-

I settled into my apartment quite easily, it had a living room, kitchen, two bedrooms, and a bathroom.

Now you may be asking yourself something like, 'What in the hell is going on?' Well, I'll tell you. Three months ago, Fang and I took making out a little too far, if you catch my drift. After that, things went downhill, Fang started to get a little distant and told me that we couldn't be a couple yet, that we had to sort everything out first, I'd agreed. Then, two weeks ago I found out that I was pregnant.

Why is that bad you ask? Because the day I was going to tell him, I found him making out with some gold digging, bleach blonde. I was hurt and angry; I knew that I would have to get away. If he found out that I was having his child, he might feel pressured to stay with me and I didn't want that. I wanted him to be with me because of me, not because we were stupid enough not to use some protection.

So, I'd devised an escape plan, I rented an apartment in Orlando, left five million dollars to my friends, and then got ready to leave. That's when Fang had showed up, he'd asked me why I was leaving and I lied, partially at least.

When I had arrived in Orlando, I'd put all of my stuff in my apartment and set out, looking for a part time job, after all I wasn't just going to live off of my bank card.

I found a job as a cashier at a nearby cafe`, it was good pay and wasn't that hard.

- **Sixth and a half months later**-

I cooed at my small daughter, watching her turn in my arms and wiggle closer, I stroked her small wings, yes wings. Apparently, that part of our DNA had been transferred somehow, but I didn't care.

She was a healthy baby, with her father's dark hair and black wings, and my eyes, except they were a few shades lighter. I giggled and finished feeding her. Her eyes drooped and I carried her to her room, then the doorbell rang and I grumbled, it was probably some freaking salesman again.

I put Lily in her crib and went back to get the door, where someone was pressing the bell repeatedly. I rolled my eyes and turned the knob, opening the door and froze, wanting to run, flee but he was blocking the door and I couldn't leave Lily.

Fang, he stood before me, the same tall, beautiful boy he was before. "F-Fang?" I stepped back and he came through, closing the door behind him. "Wh-what are you doing here, Fang?"

"I've been looking everywhere for you, searching through every state we have been through, and then I came here. I got lucky when I went to a small cafe` near here and showed the waitress there the picture I had of you, she told me she knew you and gave me this address." He moved forward, getting closer, making my muscles tense.

"Why did you leave without letting me explain? Sally is my friend, just my friend. She asked me to kiss her, because she wanted to see if she was gay or not! And guess what, she was!" He was furious I could tell, his eyes held that glint they only get when he was extremely emotional.

"Then, why did you like you were enjoying so much, huh? Why didn't you just tell me after instead of waiting till you knew I was leaving?" I realized I was screaming and I covered my mouth quickly, hoping that I hadn't woke Lily up.

"Why did you really leave, Max? Don't lie to me; I know you didn't just leave because you thought you weren't needed. So, why damn it, why did y-" He suddenly broke off, hearing my daughter's wail as she was woken from her slumber.

I scrambled off to her bedroom, nearly ripping open the door in my haste to calm her down and make sure she was okay. I cradled her and shushed her, rocking her back and forth slowly, gently.

Fang came up behind me and spluttered, "Is that...is that why you left? You were pregnant?" I nodded and held her closer. Cold fury filled Fang for a moment, why would she leave if she was pregnant, unless it wasn't his.

But then all of it evaporated when the precious little girl yawned and opened her dark wings. "She's mine, isn't she?" He croaked, watching my darling daughter shake her wings slightly before retracting them.

I glanced at him and spoke in what I hoped was a strong voice, "Yes, Fang. I would like you to meet your daughter, Lily Ride."


	2. A Moment

**Disclaimer: I do not own these characters they belong to James Patterson. **

I watched Fang back up, confusion and shock clear on his face, but not anger. I was relieved when he finally calmed enough to ingest it all, looking at Lily curiously as she slept.

"You should come back with me," He spoke, his voice no more than a whisper, whether because of what he was saying or because of the sleeping angel in my arms, I would never know.

"No," I said, plain and simple, that was it, I wasn't going anywhere with him. I know it was stupid, his explanation made sense but he had still hurt me and it still didn't explain why he had gotten so distant after we had slept together.

"And why not Max? Because I hurt you, or is it something else, someone else?" He asked, his appearance back to the impassive phase it normally was.

"What does it matter to you? It's none of your business, anyway." I dodged his question, of course there wasn't someone else, not when I still loved the beautiful boy in front of me.

"Damn it, Max!" He sighed, "At the very least come for a little while, to let me spend some time with Lily."

I held Lily to me tightly, not wanting to let go, "No."

"Max," He shook his head, "You know you can't keep her from me, she's my daughter, too."

This time I shook my head, I was afraid of losing her, she was the only connection with Fang I had left, even though he was here standing in front of me, trying to make me see reason and come back.

"Max, I'm not going anywhere, not until we come to an agreement." He sighed, again and for the first time I noticed how weary he looked, barely noticeable bags sat under his eyes and his eyes, I looked away.

His eyes were exhausted, but filled with determination and something I didn't want to name. To his statement I nodded, even if I was mad at him I couldn't handle seeing him in such an exhausted state and, against my better judgment, told him he could stay here for this one night and asked if he had any extra clothes.

When he left to get his duffle bag from the car he rented, I had no idea why he did but anyway, I shuffled closer to the living room and set to heating a bottle for Lily. She would be up soon, she always was around this time, and I knew today would be no different.

Fang came back with his duffle bag, drenched in water. I hadn't realized until then that it was raining and I had to refrain from going over to him and running my fingers through his dark locks of hair.

I told him he could stay in Lily's room, I hadn't moved her crib in there yet and there was still the regular bed. Fang went into the room to set his stuff down and dry off, so I left for the kitchen to retrieve Lily's bottle.

I sat the bottle on the table and put Lily in her little swing, turning it on slow. She was waking up, so I needed to hurry to the bathroom and back.

"I'll be right back," I told Fang and took off to the restroom that was just down the hall.

-scene change-

I heard Lily whimper and hurried from the bathroom, wiping my wet hands on a towel. Surprisingly, she hadn't started crying yet, like she usually does and I figured out why when I stepped back into the living room.

Fang was holding his small daughter delicately, as if he was afraid of hurting her, which he probably was. He was rocking her slowly, allowing her to greedily suckle on the bottle of milk I had warmed.

I walked over to the couch and sat down beside him, my heart swelling enough to clog my throat. "You're a natural,"

He shrugged, feigning indifference, but I knew he was happy, I could see it in his eyes. I watched them, thinking that maybe this night wouldn't be so bad and that tomorrow I could face reality and whatever else Fang would have to say.


	3. Not Expected

**Disclaimer: I do not own these characters they belong to James Patterson. **

The next morning was nothing like I expected it to be, I thought that it would be awkward between us, but it wasn't. When I woke up, I was surprised to find that Fang had made us breakfast and that Lily was already wake and suckling on a bottle in the kitchen, which was a first.

He greeted me warmly, placed a heavy plate of eggs and other morning foods in front of me and sat down to eat his own meal. I expected thick silences, you know the kind that you find so heavy and awkward that you think you're going to choke?

But it wasn't, instead Fang filled it with questions about Lily, the things I did when I didn't have to work, and then about what I did at my job. Thankful for talk that didn't involve Fang and I getting back together, I answered his questions truthfully and even asked a few of my own.

After breakfast was done, we went into the living room, where Lily decided it was time for Fang to become acquainted with a dirty diaper. I laughed when I saw his face when he realized what it was, having been holding Lily in his lap.

I took her from him and went to the changing table in my room.

-scene change-

When Lily was changed and happily cuddling a teddy bear in her crib, I came back into the living room. Fang was at the window, staring out into the streets of Orlando.

"We need to talk about this, Max."

I sighed, "I knew you would bring this up sooner or later."

Fang sighed too and came to sit beside me on the sofa. "Why didn't you just talk to me about your pregnancy when you found out? I know you said it was because you saw me with Sally but that isn't the only reason and you know it."

I looked away from him, trying to find a legible answer in my jumbled brain. "I don't know." I finally burst out, "After what we…um..slept together, you suddenly seemed to get so distant…"

"So, what then? Were you afraid?"

I frowned and realized that I was, if only a small amount, afraid of what he would of said. I struggled with myself for a moment before deciding to give in and tell him. "I kinda was I guess."

"What were you afraid of then?"

"I was afraid of what you would have said to me. Afraid that you would reject me or even worse after I saw you with Sally, I was afraid that you would stay with me because you felt obligated to.." I trailed off and cursed myself for saying so much.

Fang seemed surprised and turned my head to face him, "How could you think that Max? When have I ever done anything because I was obligated to?"

He was right and I knew it.

Suddenly, the mask on his face slipped and I could see all of the emotions in his eyes. I could see his hurt at thinking he would leave me, I could see the guilt at himself for becoming so emotionless towards me, but most of all I could see the love and the happiness that seemed to cover the rest.

I could feel the warmth of his arms when they wrapped around me and, even though my mind screamed at me to not give in, I sunk into his embrace. This was the first time I could relax, I mean really relax, since I found out about Lily.

His breath tickled my ear as he spoke, "Did you really believe that I would leave you? After all that we have been through, all that we have seen, all that I've said, can you really believe that anymore?"

I shook my head, "But that's just it, Fang. You haven't said anything to me about wanting to stay with me because of me. You just want to stay because of Lily."

His chuckle was harsh, "Have you forgotten that I traveled all this way to find you even before I found out about Lily?"

I sighed and tried to push his arms off of me, but he wouldn't budge, merely tightened them. "Fang, let me go."

"Never." The words had barely left him before his lips were devouring mine.

The next thing I knew, the arms that were around me before wrapped tighter and his body was hunched over mine, protecting it, from the debris that shot at us from the now destroyed window and wall.


	4. Why?

**Disclaimer: I do not own these characters they belong to James Patterson. **

My vision was blurry when I first blinked open my eyes. I could feel the heat radiating from Fang's body that was pressed against my back. What the hell had just happened?

I jerked when I heard a piercing wail coming from Lily's room. "Fang? Fang, you have to move something's wrong with Lily!" His body didn't even twitch. Panicking, I pushed against the floor until I had a little bit of leverage and rolled us over so that Fang was on the bottom.

Looking down at the unconscious form, I nearly screamed when I saw the blood on the floor. I felt around the back of my head and concentrated to see if I could feel any pain. Nothing. So the blood was Fang's.

Since there seemed to be no cuts or gashes anywhere on his front, I was about to flip him onto his stomach when another wail filled the room. I scrambled to my feet and started to cautiously move toward the room.

Behind me, Fang groaned in pain. I froze, oh no, what was I supposed to do? The sound of my daughter crying was piercing me driving me to go into her room, but behind me the love of my life was in pain and possibly dieing.

The decision was made for me when a cloaked man came out of Lily's room…with Lily in his arms, screaming and crying her small eyes out.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?! Put her down!" I yelled, charging at him. The man said nothing and headed for the gigantic hole in the wall that was sure to attract neighbors and cops soon.

Outside I head the whir of sirens and the loud sound of the blades of a helicopter. My eyes widened and I darted towards the man. A ladder descended from the copter and the man grabbed hold, the helicopter turned and flew off, taking Lily and the mystery man with it.

Oh, no. Oh, hell, no. I was frantic and spread my wings. I took off after the copter, using my enhanced speed and maneuvering to follow the massive machine. In just a few moments, though, I lost sight of it and its swirling blades.

This wasn't good, I could fly at freaking break neck speeds, damn it, how could I lose sight of a helicopter?! I landed on a nearby roof to look around again, just to make sure that I hadn't missed anything.

Dropping to my knees, I sobbed. Why was this happening? Who could or would do this?

What had I done wrong?

The howling sirens of police cars stopped my sobbing. They were heading toward my apartment. If they found Fang…

Blearily, I took off again, heading back to him.


	5. Reconnecting

**Disclaimer: I do not own these characters they belong to James Patterson.**

"Max, you need to calm down."

"Calm down! How am I supposed to calm down when my baby, hell, our _baby_ is _missing_! Fang!" I cried, continuing to pace around the small fire that we were currently seated around.

After I had hurried home, I had found Fang bleeding and disoriented, but alive. I had shaken him awake, grabbed some necessities, and helped him to fly.

We had searched for an hour or so before finally coming across a small alcove in a swampy forest, which is where we are now.

I saw Fang sigh and wince when his battered back moved across the rough bark of the tree he was leaning against.

I knew that most of this was my fault, if I had sensed or seen the attack before it had happened, I could have gotten Fang and Lily out of the way. If I had been quicker, Fang wouldn't be in so much pain and Lily, _my poor Lily_, wouldn't be missing somewhere, trapped in a strange person's clutches.

"Max, I know how you're feeling right now and panicking won't help anything! We've had worse than this happen before and we've always gotten through it! We'll just have to find this man and get Lily back!" Fang said, snatching my wrist when I passed him.

"But it's different this time! This is our daughter, Fang! _Our daughter!_" I was hysterical and I struggled to free myself from Fang's tight grip.

I yelped when he yanked me down to him and wrapped his arms around me. I couldn't stop the on rush of tears that came when he began stroking my hair and let me lean against him.

I couldn't believe myself. I was crying like a big baby.

"Max," Fang brought my face to his, "what happened to you? This isn't the Max I knew. The Max I knew was strong and brave. She wouldn't be crying and pacing, she would be thinking up a plan for getting Lily back. Please, give me that Max back."

He placed his forehead against mine and stared intentionally at me. My eyes widened and I brought my hand up to wipe the tears from my puffy, red eyes. He looked relieved when the tears stopped and I couldn't blame him.

I hardened my face and determination filled me.

"You're right, Fang. This isn't like me. Now…what do we know about these so called kidnappers?"

-scene change-

Well we didn't know much, that was for sure. I told Fang everything I knew and saw while he was unconscious and how I had tried to catch up to the helicopter, but had failed.

He simply hugged me tighter, then everything was quiet. For a little while at least.

My mind was whirling with thoughts of what could be happening to Lily and potential plans when Fang finally spoke again.

"I'm sorry." He whispered quietly, burying his head into my shoulder and clutching me even tighter, if that was possible.

"For what, Fang? You haven't done anything wrong? Not recently, anyway." I frowned, wondering what he could possibly be talking about.

He sighed, "If I was stronger, we wouldn't be in this situation. I should have been awake and helped you stop that man. Maybe, if I was, Lily would still be with us."

His voice was quiet and I could feel my eyes widen. What was he thinking? How was he supposed to know that was going to happen?

"Don't even try to make me feel better. I know everything you could possibly try to use and I'm not going to fall fo-"

I cut him off with a kiss and wrapped my arms around his neck. I moved mine against his and pressed closer.

"Okay," He panted when we broke apart, "I might not have been expecting that."

"It doesn't matter, now. What's done is done, Fang. Now all that matters is getting Lily back." I explained and stood up, bringing him with me and turning him around to examine his back.


	6. Knowing

**Disclaimer: I do not own these characters they belong to James Patterson. **

For some losing a child would be like surviving a hurricane, chaotic, destructive, and uncontrollable. For me, it was much worse, it was like losing a limb.

Even though my daughter, Lily, had only been gone for a week, I could still _hear_ her. All night, even with Fang beside me, when I am exhausted enough to sleep, I still wake up periodically, ready to feed Lily.

On Friday, after a week's worth of useless searching, Fang finally spoke up.

"We need help Max." He said, grabbing my shoulders in the living room of my apartment and forcing me to look him in the eye. "We need help and you know it." His voice would seem smooth and firm to others, but I could hear the fear lying inside it.

He was right. I _did_ know it. I looked away from him and realized that if I wanted my baby back I would have to ask for help. I swallowed thickly and nodded, unable to speak.

It didn't take very long for us to prepare. Within 15 minutes, we had packed my essentials, things for Lily if -_**No! **_when- we got her back, and gathered the things for Fang's duffel bag.

"Our flight is in an hour." Fang told me, his eyes shifted away from my face.

"Flight? What are you talking about?" I snapped.

Fang sighed, "Face it, Max. We are fast, you are really fast, but we need to go nonstop while carrying this stuff." He motioned to his duffle and my bag.

Again, he was right and I knew it.

"Flight 12B is now boarding." The intercom repeated.

I could hardly hear the voice because of the noise -far too loud and annoying- around me. "Come on." Fang grabbed my hand and led me to the plane.

We boarded slowly. I could fill my paranoia mounting as more and more people entered the plane. At least, if we crashed in this tin can, Fang and I wouldn't die.

I shuddered and took my seat and stared longingly out the window.

The plane ride was excruciatingly long in my opinion. I could tell that Fang was just as ready to get off as I was. The whole ride here he continually bounced his leg up and down.

I have realized that he would also not be on this plane if it wasn't absolutely necessary.

I clenched the seat's arms tightly as we descended and relaxed -slightly- when the plane touched the ground.

Planes do not agree with avian-human people at all.

I ached to stretch out my wings and fly, but with so many people around us I held back.

Fang stood up and stretched his arms slightly, looking suspiciously around again. I did the same.

"Max." Fang whispered. "Come on. They are waiting for us."

For a moment, my mind sputtered -they were here- and then restarted again. What had he told them?

I steeled my resolve. My daughter needed me and I would do anything for her.

So, I took a step forward and trailed after Fang as he exited the nearly empty plane.

Outside, I could see them with my raptor vision. They were all there. Gazzy and Iggy stood side by side, Iggy still much taller than Gazzy. Nudge was dressed in her fines, hair styled and make-up perfect. On the end, Angel stood next to my mom. My sister was the only one not there.


	7. Letter

Dear Readers,

Many of you have asked me to continue and some of you have asked if I am going to continue writing at all. Yes, I will be continuing all of my stories. For "To Begin Again" I already have the plot, I just need to write the chapters. For my other stories, I have written bits and pieces of further chapters, I just need to string them together.

I'm sorry you have had to wait on me so long, I just haven't been able to write very much lately. Please me patient with me :/… I'll try to have some chapters posted by next week and, hopefully, I'll be able to write them.

Love to all,

SesshyLover132


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